Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Falwell Jr. Does the Right Thing

A few weeks ago, I was outraged when I read in the Washington Times that Liberty University's administration revoked the official club status of its College Democrats. I am not a registered Democrat, but I am a Liberty alumnus. Anything that so blatantly squelches the free exchange of ideas on a university campus will naturally compromise that university's (and its graduates') credibility. I sent out a tweet about this expressing my outrage.

Let's be honest. If Harvard had revoked the official status of their College Republicans while leaving their College Democrats untouched, Sean Hannity would be broadcasting his television show from Harvard's campus the next evening! Treating these opposing entities differently is not only unfair, it is inappropriate for an institution of higher learning.

Yesterday, I was pleased to learn that Liberty's Chancellor, Jerry Falwell Jr., had reached a compromise that will treat all political clubs in the same fashion. They will all be allowed to use Liberty's name and meeting facilities, but none will be officially endorsed by the University. I am often guilty of criticizing whenever I feel compelled, but not always giving credit when due. So here it is: To the Chancellor and his administration, I say kudos. This alum is proud of your ability to compromise and respect the integrity of your institution.

on a quasi unrelated note, have you heard about this new book called, "The Unlikely Disciple"? It was written by a Brown University journalism student who spent a semester at Liberty and provides commentary on his experiences there. I've heard it's a great read and very interesting.